Machine for corrugating sheet metal.



J. J. RIGBY, MACHINE FOR OORRUGATING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14,1909.

Patented-Feb. s, 1910.

WITNESSES:

J. J. RIGBY. MACHINE FOR GORRUGATING SHEET METAL.

APPLIGATION FILED APBHM, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

1 3 SHEBTS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

JOHN J. RIG-BY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OFBROOK- LYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF VV'EST VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Application filed April 14, 1909. Serial No. 489,864.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, JOHN J. RIGBY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Corrugating Sheet Metal, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention aims to provide a new machine for making corrugated sheetmetal, and especially such metal with dovetailed corrugations. Metal ofthis sort is especially useful for the manufacture of lathing where thedovetailed shape of the corrugations serves to retain the plaster mosteffectively. It is adapted also for various other uses.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodimentof the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of part of a sheet of the finished work;Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the dies used in making it, mounted on asimple press; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the dies with the bed of thepress in section to show the spring of the lower die; Figs. 4, 5, 6 and7 are sections parallel to Fig. 2 showing successive positions of themechanism.

Referring to the particular mechanism illustrated, A and Barerespectively an upper and a lower die, which may be carried the lowerone upon the bed C and the upper one upon the slide D of a press. Thepress shown is a simple one-revolution press; that is to say at eachoperation of a pedal the crank shaft makes one rotation and then stopsuntil the pedal is again operated. The feed is by hand, and springs aredepended upon for certain movements as hereinafter described in detail;but the invention may be applied to automatic presses which runcontinuously with automatic feed of the work and with positive movementsin place of the spring movements referred to. The metal is fed to themachine in'long strips of a width depending on the width of the bed ofthe machine from front to back (say 6 inches to 10 feet for example).At, each operation of the machine a new corrugation is made, the metalbeing fed forward each step a sufficient distance beyond the die (seeFig. 4) to allow enough metal at the point E to be drawn back toform thefar side of the bend or corrugation.

The metal is gripped between the dies A and B, each of which is composedof two parts so as to be expansible and contractible.

In the initial position (Fig. 2) the upper die is contracted and thelower die expanded. The upper die is then brought down upon the work andexpanded to the position shown in Fig. 4 before any substantial bendingtakes place. saves stretching the work, to expand this die before it isengaged in the bend rather than after. The lower die continues in theexpanded position until the upper die presses the metal into the bottomof the former, whereupon the lower die is con-' may be efiected by avariety of mechanisms.

In the example of the upper die shown, the die is divided into twohalves F and F along a line parallel with the corrugations, and thesetwo halves are arranged to be forced apart by a wedge or key G. The halfdies are pressed inward toward each other by means of springs H inblocks J of the die carrier K. The wedge carrier L is a block similar tothe die carrier K and connected thereto by means of screws M, Fig. 5,(this figure being taken in a plane of section different from that ofFig. 4 for the purpose of showing these screws) which are fastened tothe die carrier Kand extend upward into recesses in the wedge carrier Lforming guides and allowing a substantial vertical movement of the diecarrier relatively to the wedge carrier. Springs N are also arrangedbetween the two carriers K and-L tending to press them always apart andlocated in vertical sockets in the carriers.

In the position of Fig. 1 the die carrier K is pressed downward as faras possible below the wedge carrier, so that the wedge is withdrawn frombetween the two halves of the die, and these two halves are pressedtoward each other to contract the die by means of the springs H. When Itsaves power, and,

.the two carriers K and L are pressed toward each other as in Fig. 4,the wedge G expands the die.

In the lower die B illustrated, the die is composed of two halves O and0, also divided parallel with the corrugations, and each half isprovided with a cylindrical rib P on its outer lower corner which isarranged in a corresponding socket in the die carrier Q, so as to permiteach half of the die to pivot about said corner, and thus to cause theexpanding and contracting of the die, and especially of its upperportion, since the latter is farthest away from the pivot points. Thelateral positions of the pivots causes the contracting of the diewithout the necessity of any special mechanism for the purpose wheneverthe upper die moves downward and presses against the bottom of the lowerdie.

The two halves O and O of the lower die are held apart until the timewhen they are to be contracted by means of a wedge or key R, located onthe line between them and pressed upward by any suitable means, such asthe rubber spring S shown in Fig. 3, and

which is supported upon a plate T carried by a rod U fastened under thebed 0 of the press. The rubber spring S bears upward against a plate Vcarrying pins V wlnch engage the under side of the key R. Projectingupward from the edge of the key R are one or more projections X,approximately equal in height to the depth of the die, so that theirupper ends lie on a level with the upper edges of the die.

These devices serve several purposes. When the upper die comes down tothe point shown in Fig. 4, it is supported there by the projections Xuntil the wedge G has been forced in between the two halves of the dieto expand it. The wedge G and the upper die being then moved downpositively, carry the projections X, and with them the keys downward tosuch a point that the key no longer interferes with the contraction ofthe lower die; and the continued movement of the upper die causes thelower die to contract in the manner previously explained. On the returnmovement the projections X serve as an ejector to lift the work out ofthe lower die in the manner indicated in Fig. 7.

After the work is removed from the machine it shows a tendency togradually reduce the overhang of the corrugations. This tendency may beallowed for by making the overhang greater in the dies A and B than isto be finally desired.

Where it is desired to do the work automatically and rapidly, positivemeans may be substituted for the springs N and S. In such machine alsothe lower dies or the rear one of them may be lowered after eachoperation so as to permit the feed to continue without lifting thestock.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for forming dovetailed corrugated sheet metal comprisingexpansible and contractible inner and outer dies, a stop for retardingthe advancement of the inner die, means acting by a movement toward theouter die for expanding the inner die while held by said stop, and meansfor advancing the inner die.

2. A machine for forming dovetailed corrugated sheet metal comprising anexpansible lower die, a key for holding the same expanded, said keybeing removed from its operative position upon the pressingof the metalinto said die so as to permit the contraction thereof.

3. A machine for forming dovetailed corrugated sheet metal comprising aninner die, an outer die, the latter comprising two halves O and Opivoted at their lower outer corners, a key R for holding the parts 0and O separated, and a projection X upon the key R adapted to be engagedand moved downward by the downward movement of the inner die, so thatsuch movement withdraws the key R and the pressure of the inner die uponthe bottom of the outer die brings the parts 0 and O of the lattertogether.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. RIGBY. WVitnesses:

D. ANTHONY UsINA, FRED WHITE.

